PHD INSOCIAL WELFARE
Bring your intellect, curiosity, and creativity to tackling complex social challenges.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare (PhD) Program will transform you into a scholar well-equipped to identify and solve social problems – both close to home and around the world. Grounded in innovation and academic rigor, the SP2 PhD allows you to explore diverse perspectives and approaches to social work, social welfare research, social policy, social theory, and social justice.
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An Invitation from the Co-Directors
“Whatever the domain of interest—health, poverty, education, incarceration, climate change, racism, migration, philanthropy, homelessness, history, and whether it is framed as a theoretical, methodological, issue-focused, or population-based inquiry—what we seek is students interested in not only finding the answers but in critically interrogating the questions themselves.”
The SP2 Difference
A highly selective program for students with a proven record of academic excellence and strong potential to contribute to their field
Instruction and mentoring from world-class faculty researchers and practitioners in multiple disciplines
Four years of support in the form of tuition, fees, individual health insurance, and stipend
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Access to Penn’s vast institutional resources
A diverse global alumni network in academia and industry, government, nonprofits, think tanks, and research institutes
World-Class Faculty
The PhD program faculty are here to help you shape your specific area of expertise, drawing on their own decades of scholarship, teaching, and experience in areas including mental health, queer studies, sex work, homelessness, incarceration, gerontology, foster youth, and more.
Curriculum
First Year
Fall Semester
- SOCW 8110: Social Theory
- SOCW 8520: Social Welfare Research Methods
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- SOCW 6300: Quantitative Reasoning/Social Statistics
Spring Semester
- SOCW 8030: Advanced History and Philosophy of Social Welfare
- SOCW 8550: Advanced Social Welfare Research Methods
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- SOCW 8970: Applied Linear Modeling
Second Year
Fall Semester
- SOCW 8610: Advanced Policy Analysis Research Methods or elective
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- Theory Course or Elective
- Advanced Methods Course or Elective
Spring Semester
- SOCW 9010: Proseminar
- Theory course or elective
- Advanced methods course or elective
- Elective
Third & Fourth Years
Fall & Spring Semesters
- Dissertation research & writing
- Teaching practicum
Your Experience
Research
You’ll devote 15 hours per week to a research fellowship during your first year and 20 hours per week during your second through fourth years. You typically begin by working with your first-year advisor to identify research experiences that align with your skills and interests. To develop a broad range of methodological skills, we encourage students to work on multiple faculty projects as well as their own research.
Advising
Each student is assigned a doctoral advisor upon entering the program. At the end of their first year, students are encouraged to assess the arrangement and decide whether to continue with that faculty member or to choose another advisor from among the Graduate Group faculty. The advisor helps the student prepare an individual educational plan, choose courses, form a dissertation committee, and become familiar with SP2 and Penn’s wide array of educational resources. Students are responsible for initiating meetings with their advisors at regular intervals.
Please see University guidelines for best practices around academic advising and building strong mentor relationships.
Exams
After completing all required coursework, typically at the end of the second year, students must take the Preliminary Exam.
After completing the required coursework and passing the Preliminary Exam, students defend their dissertation proposal. Upon a successful defense, students become PhD candidates.
A dissertation defense serves as the program’s final examination. Passing this defense completes all degree requirements.
Recent Awards & Honors
Federal Research Awards
Shana Merrill
- American Board of Genetic Counseling, up to $50,000
Alexandra Schepens
- Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (F31), National Institutes of Health, 9/1/2014 – 8/31/2017, $105,409
- Yoga Intervention for Substance Use and ART Adherence in Community Reentry.
National Research Honors
Michael L. Shier, PhD’15
- Received the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) for the Doctoral Dissertation Award for 2015-2016. Each year NAGS recognizes an outstanding dissertation that has been produced by a PhD candidate at one of its member institutions. The $1,000 award is presented at the annual meeting.
Staci Perlman, MSW’01, PhD’10
- Selected by the American Psychological Association Section on Child Maltreatment to receive the Early Career Award in the Field of Child Maltreatment. This award recognizes individuals who have made substantial contributions to the field within eight years of receiving a terminal degree and who have demonstrated the potential to continue such contributions. One award is made each year to a practitioner or researcher whose work has demonstrated an influence on the field of child maltreatment.
Sara Wiesel-Cullen, PhD ‘11
- Awarded honorable mention for the best dissertation from the Society for Social Work Research. Her dissertation chair was Professor Phyllis Solomon. Washington, DC: January 2012.
Joanna Bisgaier, PhD ’11
- Received the 2012 Student Research Award for Social Work Research from GADE (Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education). Shown are Jill Duerr Berrick, awards committee chair; Joanna Bisgaier; Karin Rhodes, Joanna’s dissertation chair; and Kia Bentley, Chair Elect of GADE. Washington, DC: January 2012.
Awards
The Hal Levin Award
Presented to a meritorious doctoral student who is continuing the process of completing coursework. All students enrolled in classes at the time of award nominations and who have passed their preliminary exams are eligible to be nominated. The recipient is chosen by nomination and voting of the SP2 faculty. Dr. Herman (Hal) Levin was a professor in the School of Social Work.
Recent Recipients
- 2024-2025: Joonhyeog Park
- 2023-2024: Husel Husile
- 2022-2023: Samaita Jana and Codi Smith
- 2021-2022: John Gyourko
- 2020-2021: Jessica Cho Kim
- 2019-2020: Michelle Mullen
- 2018-2019: Viviana Chiu-Sik Wu
- 2017-2018: Allison Russell
Gloria Chisum Fellowship
Recognizes promising new and continuing doctoral students from populations historically underrepresented in PhD education. Students are nominated and selected on the basis of their academic achievements and promise as future scholars in their field. The fellowship honors the legacy of Gloria Twine, PhD.
- 2025-2026: Sam Bello
- 2024-2025: Tony Shaw
- Christopher WodickaFontaine Fellows
- Sandhya Jha
- Sharon Zanti
- Jessica Kim
- Rebecca Pepe
- Mira Phillips
Fontaine Fellows
The Fontaine Society honors the legacy of former Penn Professor William Fontaine by supporting the academic development of PhD students whose background, research, and experiences demonstrate an interest and capacity to enhance Penn’s vibrant and welcoming learning community
- Abram Lyons
- Chelsea Brown
- Ayana Colvin
- Tony Shaw
- Vanessa Kopp
- Sebastian Prandoni
- Sam Bello
Penn Healthcare Innovation Challenge
Frank R. Bruel Memorial Prize
Social Service Review recently announced that the 2022 Frank R. Bruel Memorial Prize has been awarded to Aaron Gottlieb and SP2 graduate Kalen Flynn MSW ’09, PhD ’18. The prize honors their article, “The Legacy of Slavery and Mass Incarceration: Evidence from Felony Case Outcomes.”
Career Success
Our PhD graduates go on to hold prestigious positions in academia, government, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, research firms, and more. Here are just some of the places where our recent graduates have found full-time employment:
- American Federation of Teachers
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of the Inspector General
- U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorney
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center to End Homelessness
- Columbia University, School of Nursing
- Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Social Work
- Hong Kong University, Department of Social Work
- McGill University, School of Social Work
- National Institute on Poverty
- New York University, School of Social Work
- Rutgers University, School of Social Work
- Temple University, Graduate School of Social Work
- University of Massachusetts, School of Public Policy
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Social Policy & Practice
- University of Toronto, School of Social Work
- Yonsei University
FEATURED ALUMNI
Rosemary (Rosie) Frasso, PhD ’11
“I spent many years working in healthcare and saw how social drivers of health lead to poor outcomes for so many people. I wanted training that would prepare me to have a greater impact. At SP2, I found my niche; I learned to use rigorous research approaches to amplify the voices of patients and communities, ensuring that interventions were informed by their perspectives and responsive to their needs.”
Ready to join the PhD community?
Related News
Student Life
06/13
Largest-ever PhD class graduates from Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice
At the 2025 Commencement ceremony of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2), eight students earned their Doctor of Philosophy in Social Welfare (PhD) degrees — the largest graduating cohort in the program’s history.
Alumni
05/21
SP2 honors five accomplished alumni at 2025 hall of fame ceremony
Five distinguished alumni of Penn’s School of Social Policy & Practice (SP2) were celebrated at the 2025 SP2 Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, May 16. The evening event marked the seventh year that the School has honored alumni through the SP2 Hall of Fame. The event began with remarks from SP2 Dean Sara S. Bachman.
Faculty & Research
02/07
Improving lives through data: SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy boosts national impact through students and alumni
Like a number of SP2 students and alumni, Sharon Zanti, PhD in Social Welfare ’24, has taken a path that is interwoven with SP2’s Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy (AISP). An initiative co-founded by Professor Dennis Culhane, AISP has paved the way for state and local governments to better support residents by responsibly connecting data.
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